page_title: LAV III
section_title: Protection
hierarchical_section_title: LAV III / Design / Protection
caption_attribution_description: English: At sunset a convoy of Canadian Light Armored Vehicles over-watches the area near Khadan Village, Afghanistan, Jan. 25. (22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment Photo by Staff Sgt. Christine Jones)
context_page_description: The LAV III, originally named the Kodiak by the Canadian Army, is the third generation of the Light Armoured Vehicle family of infantry fighting vehicles built by General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada, a London, Ontario based subsidiary of General Dynamics that first entered service in 1999. It was developed in Canada as modification of the Swiss Mowag Piranha IIIH 8x8 and is the primary mechanized infantry vehicle of both the Canadian Army and the New Zealand Army. It also forms the basis of the Stryker vehicle used by the US Army and other operators.
context_section_description: The basic armour of the LAV III, covering the Standardization Agreement STANAG 4569 level III, which provides all-round protection against 7.62×51mm NATO small calibre rounds. A ceramic appliqué armour (MEXAS) can be added, which protects against 14.5×114mm heavy calibre rounds from 500 meters. In December 2008 the Government of Canada awarded EODC Engineering, Developing and Licensing Inc. C$81.5 million worth of contracts to provide for add-on-armour kits, modules and spares for its LAV III wheeled armoured personnel carriers. This armour kit is intended to provide increased protection against improvised explosive devices (IED), explosively formed penetrators and 30 mm caliber armour piercing rounds. The LAV III can be also fitted with cage armour, which provides protection against shaped charges. The LAV III is fitted with a nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) filtration system accompanied with a GID-3 chemical detector and AN/VDR-2 radiation detector systems. The LAV III was designed to produce a very low and very compact structure to minimize radar and IR-signatures. The LAV III also uses heat-absorbing filters to provide temporary protection against thermal imaging (TIS), image intensifiers and infrared cameras (IR). General Dynamics is in the process of integrating the LAV III with an active protection system based on the Israeli Trophy system.
  The majority of Canadian casualties in Afghanistan have occurred during a patrol aboard a LAV III. This can be explained by the fact that the LAV III is the most commonly used Canadian armoured personnel carrier in theatre, and simply represents a normal association between use and likelihood to encounter a mine or improvised explosive device. The LAV III offers comparable or better protection than most other infantry carriers used in Afghanistan. In an effort to improve protection as a result of experiences in Afghanistan, future LAV III upgrades will likely include improved mine and IED protection.
caption: ELAV with a Nanuk Remotely Controlled Weapon
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